1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication module, a connector, and a connector-equipped communication module, and particularly relates to a communication module which performs communication with high-frequency signals in various bands, a connector integrated with the communication module, and a connector-equipped communication module.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a communication apparatus that uses various frequency bands has been developed. In addition, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system has been put into practical use as an article information management system, which includes a reader/writer that generates an induction field, and an RFID tag (also referred to as a wireless IC device) that is attached to an article, and non-contact communication using the induction field is established between the reader/writer and the RFID tag to transmit predetermined information therebetween.
In order to acquire certification of a communication standard as a communication module, it is impossible to use soldering with which a connection state is different for each product. Thus, it is necessary to mount a board of a communication module on a connector and to connect the communication module to a motherboard via the connector. In the related art, such a connector is generally of a slot type, and a card type communication module having a connection terminal formed at one end thereof is inserted therein. However, the slot type connector has a large thickness and thus is disadvantageous for height reduction.
Thus, as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-257640, a connector has been proposed as a connector for a communication module provided with side terminals, which connector includes a placement surface and a side wall having an inner peripheral surface on which inner wall terminals for connecting to the side terminals of the communication module are provided.
However, in the connector described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-257640, since the terminals are formed on a side surface of the module, height reduction is possible, but the side terminals or the like adversely affects an antenna element provided to the communication module, thereby deteriorating the antenna characteristics.